China Performs Test Of Transit Elevated Bus That Hovers Over Traffic

Yes: this is real. China has just performed its first official test of a ‘straddling bus’ that rides on rails on the side of the road and doesn’t impede the flow of normal traffic. If it sounds too bizarre to be true, this image should help clear things up:

The test run was completed in Qinhuangdao, in north-east China, along a 300 meter stretch of road. As the BBC notes, the Transit Elevated Bus (TEB) is expected to top out at 60KM/h, and will hold a staggering number of people: 300. A Weibo user joked that “There’s enough space on this for old ladies to have a dance performance.”

The goals of such a bus should be obvious. For starters, it’s entirely electric-based, which could dramatically cut down on pollution if people begin taking advantage of it over other transport means. It’s no secret that China has appalling environmental conditions in certain cities, so this mode of transportation is long overdue – even if it is seriously futuristic (and it looks it, too).

These buses should also reduce the total load on the roads, allowing other passengers to reach their destinations quicker. Picture driving under this type of bus, though – it’d have to be pretty surreal, especially if you are driving at a different speed than the it is.

It’s said that a single one of these buses could replace up to 40 conventional buses, which again would benefit both the environment and gridlock. At this point, it’s unclear when these buses will be rolled out all over, but for myriad reasons, let’s hope they come sooner than later.